History of the California Naval Militia, 1 st Engineer Division

Transcription

1 History of the California Naval Militia, 1 st Engineer Division This history was completed in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in conjunction with the California National Guard and the California State Library. Digitized by the History Office, Camp San Luis Obispo, 24 January 2015 Original document on file at the California State Library

2 Engineer Division, Naval Militia of California Location: San Francisco, San Francisco County Organized August ~ 0, 1897 Enrolled as National Naval Volunteers May 4, 1917 Commanding Officers Name Rank George R. Kingsland, Lt. Commander Aug. ~o, 1897 Harry P. Gray, Lt. Jr. Grade Aug. 50, 1897 A. E. Williams, Lt. Jr. Grade March 11, 1898 Geo. M. Merriman, Ensign Sr. Aug. 50, 1897 Commission Oct. 16, 1~97 Oct. 16, 1P97 April 20, 1898 Oct. 16, 1897 Wm. F. Bonney, Lt. Commander Frank Van Vleck, Lt. Jr. Grade Wm. Speck, Ensign Sr. Albert Poole, Ensign Jr. Frank Van Vl eck, Lt. Commander M.R. Costerisan, Lt. Jr. Grade Wm. Speck, Ensign Sr. (Re-elected May 10, 1901) Melville C. riilkinson, Ensign Jr. Wm. Speck, Lt. Commander Alonzo H. Woodbine, Lt. Jr. Grade John Jardine, Lt. Jr. Grade Edwin W. Tucker, Ensign Sr. Harry R. Mannell, Ensign Jr. Wm. Speck, Lt. Commander John Jardine, Lt. Jr. Grade Henry Leopold, Ensign Sr. George E. Link, ~sign Jr. Wm. Speck, Lt. Commander Henry A. Leopold, Lt. Jr. Grade Wm. E. Hubbard, Ensign Sr. Charles S. Hendry, Ensign Jr. May 10, 1901 May 10, 1901 May 10, 1901 July 28, 19C4 April 5, 1906 Sept. 1, 1907 Sept. 1, 1907 Feb. 15, 1906 Oct. 15, 1908 Feb. 9, 1909 March 25, 1908 March 28, 1899 June 5, 1899 March 28, 1899 June 5, 1899 July 2, 1901 JuJy 2, 1901 March 2$, 1899 July 2, 1901 Dec. 9, 1904 Dec. 9, 1904 April 14, 1906 April 13, 1905 Dec. 9, 1904 Sept. 50, 1907 Sept. 50, 1907 Oct. 21, 1907 March 4, 1906 May 1:3, 1909 Feb. 16, 1909 March 5, 1909 May 13, 1909

3 Name Henry A. Leopold, Lt. Commander Charles S. Hendry, Lt. Jr. Grade Wm. E. Hubbard, Ensign Sr. E. A. Brainard, Ensign Jr. Rudolph L. Haas, Ensign Jr. Rank Commission Dec. 11, 191~ Jan. 14, 1914 Dec. 11, 1915 Jan. 28, 1914 Dec. 11, 1915 Jan. 28, 1914 Sept. 17, 1914 Dec. 21, 1914 April 9, 1917 April 17, 1917 CO~~~DING OFFICERS ACTIVITIES: The Engineer Di.vision of the Naval Battalion, National Guard of California, -ith an enrolled membership of twenty-six, was organized in San Francisco August ~0, The State had just secured the U.S.S. "Marion" for the use of the Naval Battalion and the new division established headquarters and had its armory on board the vessel. Less then a year, after the Engineer Division was mustered into service of the State, c~me the call for volunteers to serve duri~the Spanish-American Rar and two officers and eighteen men of that division were enrolled in the United States Auxiliary Naval Forces and assigned to duty on board some of the converted tugs, patroling the California coast.* The membership of the Engineer Division had been increased by the enrollment of about thirty men at San Diego who made headquarters there. The men had their armory on board the U.S.S. "Pinta" which had been loaned to the State for use by the divisions of the Naval Battalion located in the southern part of the State. Tre officers and ~ en of tae Engineer Division stationed at San Uiego were designated as the Pinta Detachment. The first cruise in which the Engineer Division participated was made on board the U.S.S. "Badger" which sailed from San Francisco, September 5, 1899, and returned September 16. The cruise was made in two sections, the first section consisting of Headquarters Staff and the San Francisco and Eureka Divisions. The second section, or the so called southern cruise, '.'lhich had on board the Headquarters Staff, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and San Diego Divisions and the Pinta Detacl~ent of the Engineer Division, set sail September twentieth and returned September twenty-ninth.**.ooo. *Adjutant General Report, , pages 7 and 52. **Adjutant General Report, , pages

4 The Naval Battalion was segregated fran the National Guard April 1, 1901, by General Order No. 4, in accordance with an ~ ct of the Legislature and was thereafter known and designated as the Naval Militia of California.* This reorganization did not effect the several divi sions of the Naval Force of the State. Approximately five months following this reorganization a cruise along the souther-n California coast on board the U.S.S. "Philadelphia", September t wenty-third to October seventeenth was enjoyed by the entire Engineer Di vision.** This cruise was considered the most i nstructive and beneficial in whi ch the Naval Militia had participated up to that time. The years 1902, 1900 and 1904 \Vere without incident of special interest in the Engineer Division, only the regular drills and an occasional parade having been held. from March 13 to 27, 1905, the officers and men of the Pinta Detachment, to the number of thirty-nine, were given a practice cruise under supervision of offi cers of the United States Navy on board the United States ships "Chicago", "Bemington", "Wyoming" and "Perry". The detachment was divided, and a few men a ssigned to duty on ea ch of these vessels; the duti es of the men were changed daily and they were thus given an opportunity to become familiar with the various duties aboard ship.*** About a year l ater, both the "Marion" and "Pinta" Detachments or the Engineer Division were called for active and duty in San Francisco. On the morning of April 18, 1906, that city experienced a severe earthquake shock which was followed by a disastrous f i re and it became necessary to call practically all the State forces. The Engineer Di vision was on duty there from April twenty~third to May fifteenth assisting the Civil Authorities, the National Guard and Regular troops in preserving order, assisting the injured and distributing relief.**** General Order No. 12, dated ~ay 11, 1907, directed that from May 10, 1907, the First and Second Detachments of the Engineer Division, Naval Militia of California, be known and designated respecti vely as First Engineer Di vision, located at San Francisco, and Second Engineer Division located at Los Angeles. The Fi rst Engineer Divi sion continued on, under t he old Engineer Divi sion organizations,.oao. *Adjutant General Report, , page 4. **Adjutant General Report, , pages 150,151. ***Adjutant General Report, , page 92. ****Adjutant General Report, 1906, pages 6 to

5 the same officers remaining in command. However, it became necessary for the Seoond Engineer Division to organize and elect officers.* I~mediately af ter the Second Engineer Division was organized it was reconstituted as a Deck Division and designated as the Seventh Division of the Naval Militia. As there then remained but one Engineer Division in the Naval Militia, the designation "First Division" was no longer necessary and a request was made that they be permitted to resume the title under which they were originally organized. General Order No. 18, dated August 19, 1907, provided that on and after September l, 1907 the First Engineer Division, Na.val Militia of California, located at San Francisco, should be known and designated as the "Engineer Division", Naval Militia of Cali fornia, and that the officers then on duty with the First Engineer Division continue on duty with the new division until their successors be elected and qualified.**.ooo. *General and SQecial Orders and Circulars 1 12, page General Order No. **General and Soecial Cri ers and Circulars General Order No. 18, page 1. ~**Adjutant General Report , pages 55, 54. ****Adjutant General Report , pages 65, 67. *****Adjutant General Report , page 5. **~***Adjutant General Report , pages 26, 28, 50. *of its Naval Forces. The "Marblehead" was a comparatively modern Two officers and twenty-five men of the First Engineer Division participated in a cruise on board the U.S.S. "Alert" to Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, June 50,to July 14, 1907.*** Four officers and thirty-five men of the Engineer Division participated in another cruise to the same place in July 1908, and in July 1909, two officers and thirty-fi ve men of the Division joined in a cruise along the California coast.**** The U.S.S. "Alert", proving too small to meet the requirements of the Naval Militia was, with permission of the Navy Department, returned to the Government Mar ch 21, In ex- *change the U.S.S. "Marblehead" was acomparatively modern vessel of more tonnage and with accommodations for a much larger crew than the "Alert" could accommodate.***** From 1910 to 1915 annual practice cruises were had on board the "Marblehead" to Puget Sound Point and steady progress was made by the Engineer Division and also by the other divisions of the Naval Militia.~~~~~ -4-

6 The Naval Force of the State had outgrown the "Marblehead" and in 1916 the Navy Department assigned the U.S.S. "Oregon" t o the San Francisco station for use by the San Francisco, Eur eka and Santa Cruz Divisions.* A practice cruise was had on the "Oregon", July 15 to 29, 1916, on what was the longest, and also the last cruise of the Naval Militia of this State. The cruise extended to Sitka, Alaska, covering nearly three thousand miles on the trip.** All the divisions of the Naval Militia of California were called into the Federal Service on the sixth of April The United States had entered into the World War and pursuant to orders from the Secretary of the Navy four officers and fifty-three enlisted men of the Engineer Division were enrolled as National NAval Volunteers on the fourth of May These officers and men were subsequently mobilized at Mare Island and were detailed for duty on board various war vessels and at stations throughout the United States.***,ooo. *Adjutant General Report, , page 29. **Cruises of the "Oregon", by Commander Geo. W. W illiams on file, Adjutant General office, pages ~-10. ***Adjutant General Report, , pages 21,